For a split second, everyone was silent. The only noise was the figure's labored breathing and the scuffling of feet. You backed away into the crowd of girls, not taking your eyes off of the creature.

It looked human, but the crazy red eyes and torn face said otherwise. It -- or he -- had a huge gash that started from his bruised forehead and ripped a path all the way through whatever was left of his nose to his lips, which were parted in an angry snarl.

"You can't hide from me!" he called in a sing-song voice, raising his hands jerkily into the air, then letting them drop to his sides with a loud smack.

"Run!" Harriet screamed, and you sprang into action, letting a few girls dash ahead of you before following. The thing lurched forward as soon as the crowd of girls erupted into movement. You were surprised at how fast it could run, considering it was practically falling apart.

As you ran, you could sense it getting closer, gaining ground faster than some girls could sprint. You would've probably had no trouble outrunning it if it was just you -- but you couldn't leave anyone behind you, so you urged them forward and didn't look back. A few loose-hanging pipes were peeling from the walls, and you ducked under a few, before blindly reaching up to tear one away. It came off much easier than you would have anticipated, and you stumbled a little before regaining your balance.

"You can't run from the Cranks!" he wailed, voice cracking like he'd been crying. "We'll always find you! The Cranks will always find you!"

Without the specific memory of deciding to do so, you spun to a stop, turned around sharply, and swung the metal pipe out in front of you as hard as you could. It hit the Crank's face with a sickening crunch, and you immediately dropped it and sprinted to the back of the group, praying it would at least buy you a little time.

You eventually lost track of how long you'd been running. An hour? Two hours? All you knew was that by the time Harriet finally told everyone to stop, your heart felt right about ready to beat out of your chest. You sunk to your knees, hands shaking.

"Is everyone... alright?" Sonya panted, glancing around. "Did that Crank get anyone?" 

You shook your head, then spoke up when you realized she probably hadn't seen you. "I think I slowed it down!" you called, trying to get your heavy breathing under control. "But there might be more!" Sonya nodded and beckoned for you to come over to where she and Harriet were standing, hands on their hips, worried expression plastered on their faces. You forced your legs to move, and jogged over to them, dodging girls leaning against walls and sitting down. The air smelled like sweat and bad breath and it made you want to gag.

"Did you see it?" Harriet burst out once you were within earshot. You could only nod, still breathing too hard to get anything out. "Was it a Crank?" 

You shook your head. "What's... a Crank?" you managed, bending over your knees.

"They're people who've got the Flare," Sonya answered quickly. "They're..." she trailed off.

"Monsters," Harriet finished, looking at you gravely. "And I have absolutely no desire to run into one again."

Me neither, you stopped yourself from adding, That's what happens when you get the Flare?

"I suggest we keep going down this way," Harriet said after a few seconds of silence. "We should just keep walking and get as far away from that thing as we can."

"Shouldn't we be trying to find an exit out of here?" you asked incredulously. It came out sounding more accusing than you'd anticipated. Sonya stared at you and set her hands on her hips.

"You really think it's any safer up there?" She gestured to the ceiling with a jerk of her head. "Just because we'd be above ground, doesn't mean we'd be any safer."

"She's right," Harriet added."We can't risk running into Thomas's group before we're supposed to -- plus, walking out there is like being on the freaking surface of the sun."

"But what if there's more of those things?" you blurted. "More Cranks down here? It's not safe! Especially with twenty-five other girls!" Harriet shook her head.

"It's not any better on the ground. Cranks, sun, and God knows what else. I'm the leader here, and I say we stay in these tunnels."

"And who says you're the leader?" 

You regretted it as soon as the words came out of your mouth. Harriet glared at you for a moment, before grabbing the edge of her t-shirt roughly and yanking it down past her collarbone. She turned her head so you could see the back part of her neck, and the clean, bolded words printed there.

"It says Leader, right?" she snapped. You dropped your gaze to the floor and didn't answer.

"Let's just go," Sonya sighed, turning around and setting a hand on Harriet's shoulder. "There's no use arguing about it."

You still didn't say anything but fell into step behind the two girls as they started up again. The group lurched forward, and you fell back until Harriet and Sonya were well in front of you.

You walked for hours before lunch. Then for a few hours more. The next time you stopped to sleep, you were so exhausted, you didn't even have time to worry about any more Cranks before darkness consumed you entirely.

You dreamt that night, about the Glade. About Newt.

You're standing together, alone, at night, with just the faint light of a dying fire to shed any light.

"I'm bloody scared," Newt whispers, his breath hot against your lips. You grasp his arm with a trembling hand, and nod ever so slightly to show you are too. All you want at that moment is to be as close as possible to him.

Your brain orders you to keep your arms stiff at your sides, but they betray you within seconds, snaking up Newt's chest and resting on either side of his neck, pushing your bodies even closer together. Newt brings his hand slowly up to rest in the crook of your neck, and your heart beats even faster -- so fast, you were afraid it would burst out of your chest.

Then, you're kissing.

He tastes like salt and smoke. His chest heaves in time to your breaths. You're squeezing each other so hard, it hurts.

Somehow, you know this was what a real kiss is supposed to be like -- full of love, and longing. Sharing your pain and sorrows with another person; lifting the heavy weight of stress off your frail and tired shoulders. Nothing has ever felt so wonderful.

Then, just like that, it's over. Newt's pulling away and you're stepping back from him, your hands letting go of his chest and falling to your sides.

You woke up to scuffling, your first thought was another Crank. It settled down, and you drifted off again, this time into nothingness.

Sonya woke you up a little while later, muttering that it was time to get a move on. You snatched up your damp sweatshirt and slipped it on, shivering as a gust of wind blew lazily past you. You just wanted to get out of here.

Soon, everyone had fallen into step and you were walking again, munching on a piece of rock-hard bread as you went. You weren't even going to let yourself consider that dream you'd had that night.

You're missing your friends. That's all.

You missed Newt.

Newt could be dead by now.

He's not.

You shook your head and took another bite, pushing any other thoughts to the back of your mind.

You tried to make small talk with the girls walking next to you, but it quickly trailed off to silence, and you let them walk ahead.

You missed Newt.